Jordan’s Third National Plan within the Open Government ...



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| |The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |

| |Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation |

Jordan’s Third National Action Plan 2016-2018 under the Open Government Partnership Initiative

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Disclaimer: The English version is a translation of the original in Arabic. In case of a discrepancy, the Arabic original shall prevail.

1. Prologue 2

2. Introduction 3

3. Jordan’s Previous Achievements in relation to the Second National Plan (2014-2015) 5

4. The Current Plan’s Features and Subjects: 6

5. Challenges related to the Open Government Partnership Initiative addressed by the Third National Plan 2016-2018 7

6. Goals of the Third National Plan 7

7. Government’s Approach to Working with Civil Society in the Implementation of the Third National Plan 2016-2018 8

8. Summary of The Plan’s Preparation and Consultation Process 9

9. The commitments within Jordan’s National Plan for (2016-2018) 11

Commitment 1: Strengthen the legislative framework governing access to information 11

Commitment 2: Strengthen the facilities available for persons with disabilities to access the justice system 12

Commitment 3: Strengthen the framework governing the freedom of the media 13

Commitment 4: Launch and enhance the complaints registration system and follow-up mechanisms to deal with complaints in a serious manner and to refer them to the judiciary 14

Commitment 4: Launch and enhance the complaints registration system and follow-up mechanisms to deal with complaints in a serious manner and to refer them to the judiciary 15

Commitment 5: Issue the requisite regulations and instructions to implement the Decentralization Law and hold Governorate Council Elections in 2017 16

Commitment 6: Develop healthcare services and automate the healthcare sector through electronic linkages 17

Commitment 7: Develop an interactive observatory forum for citizens to monitor the implementation of the Government’s plans and progress 18

Commitment 8: Adopt the principle of budget disclosure in accordance with international standards and promote transparency and financial disclosure 19

Commitment 9: Develop transparent and participatory policies regarding climate change challenges 20

Commitment 10: Implement an open data sources policy 21

Commitments’ Matrix 22

Prologue

It gives me a great pleasure to put forward Jordan’s third National Action Plan for 2016-2018 Open Government Partnership (OGP).

As the only Arab country invited to join this global initiative in 2011, it was evident that our determination to break grounds for further strengthening transparency, accountability and good governance has not only made Jordan eligible for OGP membership, but also for being globally recognized for its model of evolutionary home-grown reforms. Jordan has also been playing a pivotal role in peace and security and stability of Middle East region.

Jordan’s external environment continues to be challenging, and spillover from the conflicts in the region continues to put pressure Jordan, yet we have managed to maintain our resilience and in translating these challenges into opportunities. Moreover, Jordan is setting a model for the world and a paradigm shift in terms of carrying out a global public good in terms of taking care of Syrian refugees and converting the refugees challenge into an economic opportunity. Our goal is to continue being a model of home-grown reforms paving the way for further deeper and comprehensive political and economic reforms in spite of the turbulence in the region and spillover on Jordan.

While the initiative continues to attract more global attention, our reform process continues to gain more credibility and strength. Led and guided by His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein, the Government of Jordan is advancing its multifaceted reform agenda in line with its 10-year vision, Jordan 2025, launched in 2015 while also facing major challenges due to spillover of regional crises on Jordan, including the Syrian refugee influx.

Corresponding to the core principles of OGP, the Government of Jordan in the preparation of this Action Plan expanded the scope of consultations with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and strived to ensure wider representation of these groups throughout the different stages of developing the Action Plan. In this context, the National Task Force entrusted with drafting the Plan was expanded to ensure better representation of CSOs as well as women and youth groups. I facilitated one of the consultation sessions held with CSOs with the purpose of reviewing and discussing our proposed national commitments under OGP.

We believe that our third Action Plan includes increased level of collaboration with civil society and we are keen to continue with the same approach and spirit during the implementation phase. We also believe in our institutions’ ability to implement this plan in accordance with the OGP principles.

Going forward, we continue to improve the development and planning processes, while further promoting citizens’ participation and improving public sector efficiency based on inclusive and balanced approach in which the government and civil society are partners in delivering reform and development, not mentioning OGP national commitments.

Imad Najib Fakhoury

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation

Introduction

Jordan’s Third National Plan for the years 2016-2018 garners exceptional importance due to the circumstances surrounding its development and planning which coincided with a number of political and security challenges in the region. Not the least of which is the escalation of conflict in two countries sharing borders with Jordan, Syria and Iraq. The development of the plan also coincided with the upsurge of economic and social burdens due to spillover of the Syrian crisis now in its sixth year on Jordan including hosting about 1.3 million of Syrian refugees. The high cost of hosting Syrian refugees present enormous challenges affecting Jordan’s economic, social and political fabric.

In spite of regional turbulences and impact on the country, Jordan remains committed to proceeding with reforms in a participatory and balanced approach. Perhaps the most recent evidence is the start in 2016 of the implementation of Jordan’s new vision; Jordan 2025. The new vision seeks to achieve a prosperous, resilient, and inclusive economy while deepening reform and inclusion.

Jordan has also stressed its determination to continue the process of reform with regard to the status and protection of its citizens’ fundamental rights. This was evident in the adoption of the “Comprehensive National Human Rights Plan (for the years 2016-2025)” which bore a royal political vision of enhancing Jordan's position in protecting human rights; pursuant to the principles of the Constitution, the United Nations Charter, and other international conventions ratified by Jordan which intersect substantially with the underlying principles of Open Government Partnership. The Comprehensive National Human Rights Plan was developed in consultation with official and non-official bodies and civil society organizations to address the existing imbalance in terms of legislation, policies and practices for the advancement and upgrade of the country’s human rights situation.

Facing waves of unprecedented instability in the region as a whole and on its borders in specific, Jordan chose to continue the path of popular participation by strengthening the democratic process. The Government passed a new Elections Law and enabled the Independent Elections Commission to conduct the 18th Parliamentary elections in September 2016. The successful implementation of recent elections constituted a clear confirmation of the depth of reform, charted by the country’s political leadership that would be entrenched as the safety valve on which Jordan relies to confront the challenges sweeping the region.

Jordan is also committed to expanding the process of popular participation through the preparation for a large-scale decentralization process that allows citizens to identify their needs and priorities and to develop their areas and communities, thus enlarging popular participation in decision making process. For the very first time, Jordan will hold decentralization elections in 2017.

In addition to the set of national documents and strategies, this plan was inspired by a number of international obligations which Jordan took the responsibility to implement. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations before the Human Rights Council constitute a key source of the current plan’s preparation. The plan has also set its sight on integrating UN goals of sustainable development, specifically Objective 16 which relates to: reducing all forms of corruption and bribery; establishing effective, transparent and accountable institutions at all levels; ensuring decisions are made in a participatory and representative manner at all levels, and protecting public access to information and fundamental freedoms in accordance with national legislations and international agreements.

In preparing the Third National Plan for the years 2016-2018 according to the Open Government Partnership Initiative framework, the Government of Jordan affirms its clear commitment and quest to integrate the principles upon which the Partnership is based—participation, transparency, and relentless pursuit of accountability—into the government and public sector’s work mechanisms.

Jordan’s Key achievements under the Second OGP National Plan (2014-2015)

The Government of Jordan’s Second National Plan included fourteen commitments, all related to improving the government’s public performance and developing indicators to measure these improvements. Seven of these commitments have been fully accomplished while work is underway to finalize completion of the remaining ones.

The above-stated achievements include the following:

1. Adopting a unified organizational structure for all internal control units, including financial and administrative controls, and defined reporting mechanisms for such units (the Minister, or the Head of Commission or Council, etc.)

2. Defining governmental services, and specified institutions to provide them and improve the level of their delivery through: conducting continuous and specialized training for staff members who provide these services, strengthening programs and the electronic connection between them, and enhancing the surrounding environment to provide services according to location and infrastructure.

3. Developing service delivery standards and targets to reduce discretionary power; to match according to needs, desires and expectations of service recipients; and to receive complaints in adherence with best practices.

4. Obliging various services provider institutions and directorates to publish and circulate service delivery standards, in addition to publishing such standards in procedural manuals which include the relevant procedures, responsibilities, time needed to provide each service and the applicable fees.

5. Modernizing the public service framework and providing a comprehensive review of the Civil Service Regulation to keep pace with developments and changes which may affect the public service. This includes provisions tied to the National Integrity System and related to public service and servants in order to reduce the public official’s discretional authority and to apply clear and declared procedures.

6. Applying the Professional Code of Conduct by conducting a set of clear and declared training and awareness programs.

7. Reorganizing the media sector’s institutions to raise their level of performance.

The Current Plan’s Features and Pillars:

Jordan’s Third National Plan for the years (2016-2018) provides ten new commitments in accordance with the Open Government Partnership principles.

Regarding the principle of access to information, the plan offers a major commitment which reflects the Jordanian government’s pursuit to strengthen the legislative framework governing access to information. It also provides commitments to enhance the facilities available for persons with disabilities to better use information related to the justice sector, and to apply a policy for providing public data.

To reinforce the principle of public participation, the Jordanian Government commits to strengthen the framework governing freedom of the media to promote aspects of citizen participation in the public life, and the independent role of the media in disseminating reports and coverage related to government performance. In addition, the Government has made a commitment to issue regulations and instructions to implement the Decentralization Law by holding for the first time Decentralization elections in 2017 paving the way for decentralized planning which will enable the decision-making process to become a purely local one that responds to the citizens’ local priorities. Jordan also presents another new commitment related to the development of transparent and participatory policies regarding climate change.

Concerning the principle of accountability, the Government of Jordan made several commitments in this Third National Plan which include the launch and enhancement of a complaints registration system and follow-up mechanisms to deal with complaints in a serious manner and to refer them to the judiciary, when necessary. The system receives complaints related to violations of citizen rights and those related to governmental services. The Government also made commitments to adopt the principle of budget disclosure in accordance with international standards, and to promote transparency and financial disclosure as part of its efforts to enable citizen participation in evaluation and audit of government spending decisions.

To expand the use of technology and innovation for improved transparency and service delivery, the Government of Jordan provided two new commitments to develop healthcare services and to automate the healthcare sector through electronic linkage. The second commitment also stipulates the development of an interactive observatory forum for citizens to monitor the implementation of the government's plans and the progress accomplished.

Challenges related to the Open Government Partnership Initiative addressed by the Third National Plan 2016-2018

Jordan’s new commitments stipulated in the Third National Plan, prepared by the Government of Jordan, intersect with a large number of challenges facing the Open Government Partnership Initiative. The Plan highlights the various commitments, whether individually or as a group, addressing the following:

• Enhance the overall credibility of the government’s performance;

• Increase access to information;

• Provide judicial services and access to information concerning use of the justice system;

• Strengthen media and public freedoms;

• Strengthen public credibility;

• Combat corruption;

• Achieve citizen popular participation in decision-making related to their daily lives, including those related to the services they receive;

• Direct and local monitoring of the decision making process;

• Improve the bulk of health services provided to citizens and facilitate access to information;

• Strengthen citizen control and monitoring and improve the level of public services;

• Promote transparency and accountability practices in public sector institutions;

• Encourage fiscal reform;

• Achieve safer communities addressing dangers, disasters and environmental risks.

Goals of the Third National Plan

The Third National Plan defines a number of goals that the Government of Jordan seeks to achieve through the commitments made, which can be summarized as follows:

• Establish stable policies and promote the use of international best practices and standards to address all commitments;

• Promote the facilities available for citizens to access government-provided services;

• Consolidate the pillars of participatory approach in governmental institutions’ work and planning process;

• Entrench the complaints mechanism and deal with complaints in a serious manner to increase citizen confidence in such mechanisms;

• Promote a decentralized decision-making process for development and economic matters, and make government performance more transparent;

• Enhance the transparency and stability within public system procedures and government performance by applying disclosure and facilitating access to information.

• Encourage community-based economy growth, stimulate an incubator for innovation and leadership to develop new services and financial resources, and enable civil society to adopt effective programmatic planning by using open data resources.

Government’s Approach to Working with Civil Society in the Implementation of the Third National Plan 2016-2018

The Government of Jordan seeks to work with civil society institutions and representatives in order to create sustainable and well-established rules that govern the participation of civil society in the dialogue related to the implementation of the commitments stipulated in this Plan. The Government will also make way for civil society representatives and institutions to effectively enrich these plans, study their implementation, express their views and recommendations, and provide needed criticism, when necessary. This engagement will be achieved through an organized and systematic approach based on transparency, disclosure and open dialogue.

While promoting the participatory approach in implementing the Plan, the Government will establish mechanisms to engage civil society representatives and the public in the implementation and feedback process to provide their advice, recommendations and information. The Government will also consider how to benefit from various tools and methods to ensure sufficient and sincere exposure to civil society organizations’ views and opinions, whether related to implementation of the commitments or to future planning. One method under review is the development of a national survey to measure the opinion of civil society representatives regarding the following issues:

• Obstacles related to contacting and communicating with government representatives;

• Issues and topics of utmost importance requiring communication with the government;

• Preparedness and ability of civil society organizations to develop system approach to addressing public issues;

• Capacity-building and development needs of civil society organizations to participate in the implementation of the commitments.

Summary of The Plan’s Preparation and Consultation Process

In September 2015, the Prime Minster announced the formation of a working group to prepare the Third National Plan for 2016-2018 to address the Open Government Partnership Initiative. The team included representatives from relevant national and governmental parties, the civil society, women and youth organizations.

The working group included the following parties:

• Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates

• Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs

• Ministry of Public Sector Development

• The General Budget Department

• The Anti-Corruption and Integrity Commission

• The National Center for Human Rights

• The National Jordanian Woman Association

• The Jordanian Businessmen Association

• The Civil Society Organizations Coordination Committee (Hemam)

• The Jordanian National Committee for Woman

• The Chairman of We are all Jordan Youth Commission

The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC) published a timeframe for the preparation of the Third National Plan, within the Open Government Partnership Initiative, which included scheduled consultation meetings for the working group to agree on the preliminary structure of the Third Plan. The timeframe also stipulated the dissemination of the plan to all interested civil society organizations in order to receive their responses related to the draft plan.

MoPIC, through a series of ads published in Jordanian daily newspapers and through its website, invited interested institutions and parties to share their contact information, express their views on the Action Plan drafts and its time frame. An email address OGP@.jo was set for this purpose.

The working group held four meetings in order to agree on the plan’s general framework , the preparation timeframe, the consultations mechanism with the civil society and the development of the a first draft based on a meticulous review of all the related national plans and strategies, the previous national plans related to the initiative, the external reports related to the progress, in addition to the commitments taken by the government due to its membership in the related treaties and conventions

MoPIC continued to reach out to as many civil society organizations as possible in order to inform their representatives about the planning and development process for the Third Plan according to the Open Government Partnership Initiative and to raise awareness of this initiative. In the summer of 2016, the Ministry launched a questionnaire distributed by email to more than 150 civil society organizations. The questionnaire included an introduction explaining its purpose and two main parts: the first, to collect information about the organizations participating in the survey; and the second, containing questions related to the principles of the Open Government Partnership. The questionnaire was accompanied by an introductory sheet written in Arabic identifying the Open Government Partnership principles and the challenges faced.

The questionnaire was used as a tool to communicate with civil society organizations across Jordan in order to widen the scope of participation in drafting and preparing the Third National Plan, and to create an opportunity for increased participation by these organizations in the future implementation of the Government’s commitments.

By the end of the first week of September 2016, the Ministry’s working group received the completed questionnaire forms from various civil society institutions by email. The information provided within the questionnaire enriched and strengthened the planning process for designing the draft Third Plan. MoPIC was also able to glean information on the participating organizations, paving the road for invitations to participate and present recommendations in the final drafting of the Plan.

The Ministry published the analysis and results of the questionnaire on its website and introduced an eye-catching link on its homepage to a page dedicated to the Open Government Partnership Initiative.

MoPIC invited 45 civil society organizations, representing various specializations and mandates, to participate in a preliminary consultation meeting to discuss the draft Third Plan and its commitments, to exchange views and opinions, and to receive observations and remarks from the organizations related to the Plan. The meeting, held on the 25th of September, included the participation of 25 organizations and resulted in a consensus that more time was needed for participating civil society organizations to conduct a more thorough review of the Plan.

In response, MoPIC published the entire draft Third Plan on its website page assigned for the Open Government Partnership Initiative. Then, the Ministry held a second consultation meeting on the 16th of October targeting civil society organizations which was attended by 30 non-governmental organizations and representatives from other ministries and governmental institutions. The attendees agreed to implement the commitments stipulated in the draft Plan and the meeting resulted in more suggestions to improve the Plan.

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The Ministry’s team entrusted with coordinating the efforts related to the Open Government Partnership Initiative continued to receive suggestions submitted by civil society organizations through the assigned email account until the draft Plan took shape in its final form in October 2016.

The commitments within Jordan’s National Plan for (2016-2018)

|Commitment 1: Strengthen the legislative framework governing access to information |

|Access to Information |

|Commitment start and end date |1/1/2017-30/11/2018 |

|New or ongoing commitment |New Commitment |

|Lead implementing agency |Ministry of Culture |

|Other Actors |Government Ministries, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

|Involved |Department/Agency | |

| |CSOs, private sector, multilaterals, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

| |working groups | |

|Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment |The National Human Rights Plan clearly emphasized the importance of amending and enacting the Access to|

| |Information Law. The plan recognizes that the current legal framework (issued in 2007) suffers from |

| |certain imbalances while the operational plan of the National Integrity System contains a commitment to|

| |review the legislation related to the protection of the right to access information. In addition, the |

| |Jordanian Government accepted a number of the Human Rights Universal Periodic Review recommendations in|

| |2013 which stipulated the importance of revising the regulatory environment governing the right to |

| |access information. The enforcement of the law suffers from a general lack of associated procedures to |

| |the law. Furthermore, the current law is not the only legal tool that deals with access to information |

| |issues. As a result, there are technical and administrative difficulties related to the management of |

| |information across various public sector institutions. |

|Main objective |Harmonize national legislation and policies concerning the right to access information with |

| |international standards and best practices. |

|Brief description of commitment |Review the legislative system, identify existing problems in the practices and management of |

| |information systems and propose a bundle of legislative and procedural amendments. |

|OGP challenge addressed by the commitment |Strengthen the overall credibility of government’s performance and increase access to information in |

| |the context of encouraging a climate of public freedom. |

|Relevance |This commitment is directly related to the principle of access to information. It enables citizens to |

| |have access to public information that affect their lives and have the right to access. It is the |

| |cornerstone for establishing the basis of accountability and public participation in general. |

|Ambition |The Jordanian Government aims to establish a set of stable policies in the area of access to |

| |information based on international best practices and standards. The government also aims to better |

| |manage how information is made available in the public sector, allowing citizens to access information |

| |of concern to them with little or no administrative or bureaucratic obstacles or legislative barriers. |

|Milestone (Activity with a verifiable deliverable and completion date) |Start date |End Date |

|Specialized review conducted of the Jordanian legislative system. National review team established including civil society |1/4/2017 |25/12/2017 |

|organizations. | | |

|Matrix created which shows obstacles, barriers and challenges in related laws and legislation. |2/1/2018 |2/2/2018 |

|Policy paper developed which includes recommendations related to possible amendments and best practices. |2/3/2018 |2/4/2018 |

|Review package submitted to the Jordanian Parliament in order to adopt the proper amendments. |28/4/2018 |28/6/2018 |

|Commitment 2: Strengthen the facilities available for persons with disabilities to access the justice system |

|Access to Information |

|Commitment start and end date |1/1/2017-30/12/2017 |

|New or ongoing commitment |New Commitment |

|Lead implementing agency |Ministry of Justice |

|Other actors |Government Ministries, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

|Involved |Department/Agency | |

| |CSOs, private sector, multilaterals,|Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

| |working groups | |

|Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment |The national public census conducted by the Jordan Department of Statistics in 2015 revealed that 11 |

| |percent of the population has some type disability, while 2.64 percent of the population has a physical |

| |disability specifically. The justice sector, including the courts, lacks systems and mechanisms which |

| |provide persons with disabilities with the needed information on the litigation process, applicable |

| |procedures, the necessary signs, and information on how to use court facilities in a comprehensible way |

| |(i.e. information in Braille or other simplified methods). In addition, there are no automated systems or|

| |electronic databases which can provide persons with disabilities with the ability to easily access |

| |information related to the litigation process in a way that takes into consideration their special |

| |circumstances. The absence of such information results in hindering the provision of key services to a |

| |significant segment of the population, particularly the services related to accessing justice. |

|Main objective |Enable persons with disabilities to access information related to the use of the justice system. |

|Brief description of commitment |Provide information about court facilities to better allow persons with disabilities to use the courts |

| |according to the nature and type of disability. |

|OGP challenge addressed by the commitment |Provide justice services and access to the information related to the use of such services. |

|Relevance |This commitment directly relates and intersects with the access to information principle by emphasizing |

| |the provision of vital information to a certain segment of the society who cannot access information in |

| |the manner that it is available for the rest of the society due to their disabilities. This commitment |

| |also corresponds with the principle of encouraging the use of technology in a way that ensures |

| |participation and use of the country’s legal system by persons with disabilities. |

|Ambition |The Government endeavors to make governmental procedures more transparent for persons with disabilities, |

| |including those related to the use of the justice sector, by providing utmost measures to ensure the |

| |integration of persons with disabilities within the rest of the society. Without the proper preliminary |

| |work, the governmental procedures will remain ambiguous, unknown and unusable by members of this segment |

| |of society. Through this commitment, the Government seeks to define and gather all documents, |

| |instructions and information related to the litigation process, convert them into Braille language, and |

| |provide electronic formats that can be used by persons with disabilities. Furthermore, the commitment |

| |seeks to introduce changes to the related institutions’ websites (Ministry of Justice, Judicial Council.)|

| |to include pages that can be used by persons with disabilities. |

|Milestone (Activity with a verifiable deliverable and completion date) |Start date |End date |

|Working group established comprising relevant parties, including representatives of nongovernmental disabilities |1/1/2017 |15/1/2017 |

|organizations, and scope of work drafted for the working group. | | |

|Information and data system designed identifying court procedures and guidelines which should be provided to persons with |30/1/2017 |15/4/2017 |

|disabilities in Braille language or other simplified means. | | |

|Test samples for documents designed to be used in a limited number of central courts. |5/8/2017 |15/9/2017 |

|Effectiveness of the documents designed for the use of persons with disabilities measured though test groups that include |30/9/2017 |30/10/2017 |

|persons with various types of disabilities. | | |

|Number of documents assigned for use by persons with disabilities increased by not less than 1 percent. |15/11/2017 |30/12/2017 |

|Commitment 3: Strengthen the framework governing the freedom of the media |

|Popular Participation and Accountability |

|Commitment start and end date |1/1/2017-30/6/2018 |

|New or ongoing commitment |New Commitment |

|Lead implementing agency |Office of the Minister for Media Affairs |

|Other Actors Involved |Government Ministries, Department/Agency |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

| |CSOs, private sector, multilaterals, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

| |working groups | |

|Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment |Both the National Human Rights Plan and the National Integrity System’s Operation Plan |

| |affirmed the need to review and revise the legislative framework governing the work of |

| |media outlets and the harmonization of national legislation and policies related to the |

| |right of freedom of expression and freedom of opinion with the provisions of the |

| |Constitution. In addition, there is a need to take measures to address issues related to |

| |the licensing of media outlets and to regulate the media sector in a way that strengthens |

| |the right to freedom of opinion and expression and ensures the public’s right to know. |

| |This commitment aims at addressing the effects stemming from the rapid expansion of the |

| |media sector, the emergence of electronic media on a widespread scale, and the need for |

| |regulatory and legislative tools that correspond with such growth. |

|Main objective |Ensure the independence of the media and protection of the right of expression. |

|Brief description of commitment |Design and implement a technical framework to define best practices that should be applied|

| |to strengthen the freedom of the press. This shall include the creation of a package of |

| |legislative amendments to be submitted to the Parliament. |

|OPG challenge addressed by the commitment |Strengthen media and public freedoms. |

|Relevance |This commitment is fundamentally connected with advancing public participation in the |

| |public life and strengthening public accountability measures through the independent role |

| |of the media in publishing reports and coverage of the function and performance of public |

| |sector institutions, including the criticism of such performance. |

|Ambition |The Jordanian Government desires that its efforts in this field will result in the |

| |establishment of an umbrella of policies, legislation and practices that will ensure the |

| |function and independence of media outlets. These efforts will be based on civil society |

| |and its institutions’ participation and best practices which will provide more guarantee |

| |of the freedom of expression. |

|Milestone (Activity with a verifiable deliverable and completion date) |Start date |End date |

|National forum established with a consultation role to assist stakeholders in the area of freedom of the media (the |1/1/2017 |1/5/2017 |

|government, media organizations, civil society, unions and experts) | | |

|Recommendations and suggestions collected related to improving freedom of the media from all available resources. |15/5/2017 |15/9/2017 |

|Mechanism established to engage the public in discussions related to the freedom of the press (an interactive electronic |1/4/2018 |30/12/2018 |

|forum). | | |

|Commitment 4: Launch and enhance the complaints registration system and follow-up mechanisms to deal with complaints in a serious manner and to refer them |

|to the judiciary |

|Accountability |

|Complaints and grievances related to violations committed against citizen |

|Commitment start and end date |1/1/2017-30/11/2018 |

|New or ongoing commitment |New commitment |

|Lead implementing agency |The Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Human Rights Coordinator at the Prime Ministry |

|Other Actors |Government Ministries, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

|Involved |Department/Agency | |

| |CSOs, private sector, multilaterals, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

| |working groups | |

|Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment |This commitment addresses the number and diversity of mechanisms that should receive and follow up|

| |on citizen complaints. The drafters of the National Human Rights Plan realized the scope of |

| |problems that may stem from the diversity of mechanisms. The plan calls for the establishment of |

| |an electronic database, which contains all complaints registered in Jordan. At the same time, the |

| |commitment seeks to raise the level of seriousness in receiving and following up on complaints, in|

| |addition to activating accountability options including judicial accountability when necessary. |

|Main objective |Make the complaints and grievances mechanism more available to citizens in a more effective and |

| |organized fashion. |

|Brief description of commitment |Establish a unified electronic citizen complaints database, which citizens can use to follow on |

| |the actions taken regarding such complaints at all stages, maintaining gender equality in the use |

| |and administration of this system. |

|OGP challenge addressed by the commitment |Increase public credibility, combat corruption and promote public morals. |

|Relevance |This commitment is related to intensifying the principle of accountability in public institutions’|

| |practices, by allowing public oversight of the complaint and grievance procedures of the general |

| |government body. |

|Ambition |The Government of Jordan has ambitions to establish grievance mechanisms to deal with complaints |

| |in a serious manner, as part of a broader framework for accountability, through connecting the |

| |review of such complaints with serious administrative and judicial follow-up. The Government also |

| |hopes that the procedures applied under this commitment will support the functions of the public |

| |and governmental monitoring bodies, and build the bridges of communication between these bodies |

| |and the public. |

|Milestone (Activity with a verifiable deliverable and completion date) |Start date |End date |

|Instructions issued by the government to its related bodies and institutions directing them to work together to |15/2/2017 |15/4/2017 |

|establish a complaints database and to name a governmental department to manage the data-gathering process, define the | | |

|specifications of the database system, and establish linkages between the various related institutions within the | | |

|database framework. | | |

|Database’s functional system designed and its technical development completed. |18/4/2017 |30/7/2017 |

|Sample testing performed to the database functions with the participation of civil society institutions, unions and |15/8/2017 |30/12/2017 |

|certain universities, provided that the database system shall allow the following: | | |

|3.1 provide citizens with the ability to access the complaints database. | | |

|3.2 enable citizens to electronically follow-up on the procedures taken at all stages of the complaints process. | | |

|3.3 enable citizens to register their notes on the complaint follow-up process. | | |

|Decision issued by the Prime Minster requiring government institutions to publish a link to the database site in a |5/1/2018 |15/3/2018 |

|visible location within offices and on websites. | | |

|Commitment 4: Launch and enhance the complaints registration system and follow-up mechanisms to deal with complaints in a serious manner and to refer them |

|to the judiciary |

|Complaints related to governmental services and the surrounding environment of its provision |

|Commitment start and end date |1/1/2017 - continuous |

|New or ongoing commitment |New Commitment |

|Lead implementing agency |Ministry of Public Sector Development |

|Other Actors |Government Ministries, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

|Involved |Department/Agency | |

| |CSOs, private sector, multilaterals, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

| |working groups | |

|Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment |This commitment contributes to the promotion of the complaints mechanisms by providing central |

| |complaint registration windows along with windows available in governmental departments with |

| |the assurance of a central window dedicated for registering complaints related to governmental |

| |services and the surrounding environment of providing these services. |

|Main objective |Provide additional channels to receive complaints submitted by citizens and those who deal with|

| |the government on a broader level and in a more organized manner. |

|Brief description of commitment |Develop an electronic system for managing registration of complaints and grievances related to |

| |services delivery and the surrounding environment of provision. Address complaints and find |

| |proper solutions based on justice, equality and transparency. |

|OGP challenge addressed by the commitment |Increase public credibility, combat corruption and promote public morals. |

|Relevance |Strengthen the principles of accountability and transparency, enable citizens to make their |

| |voice heard by the government, employ modern technology in receiving and addressing complaints |

| |and strengthen citizen participation in government services development process. |

|Ambition |The Jordanian government aspires, through an electronic system, to increase citizen |

| |participation and confidence in the complaints registration and follow-up mechanisms by |

| |enabling the citizen to monitor the procedures taken by the government in addressing their |

| |complaints. |

|Milestone (Activity with a verifiable deliverable and completion date) |Start date |End date |

|Legislative system (regulation/instructions) issued which institutionalizes the existence of a central system to |1/1/2017 |30/3/2017 |

|receive complaints related to governmental services. | | |

|Launch an Electronic complaints reception system related to services and the surrounding environment of their |1/1/2017 |30/3/2017 |

|provision. | | |

|System made available for receiving complaints and also made available as a mobile phone application through the |1/7/2017 |Continuous |

|Ministry of Public Sector Development website/the Jordanian Government Electronic Portal. | | |

| |1/4/2017 |30/6/2017 |

|Workshop held with the participation of civil society institutions and other concerned parties to explain the | | |

|system and its functions. | | |

|Launch Electronic system promotional campaign to reach out to various channels receiving complaints. |1/7/2017 |Continuous |

|Periodical reports issued and published regarding the complaints received by the system, the means of addressing |3rd quarter 2017 |Continuous |

|them, and pending complaints reports. | | |

|Commitment 5: Issue the requisite regulations and instructions to implement the Decentralization Law and hold Governorate Council Elections in 2017 |

| Public Participation |

|Commitment start and end date |1/1/2017-30/3/2017 |

|New or ongoing commitment |New Commitment |

|Lead implementing agency |Ministry of Interior |

| |Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation |

|Other Actors |Government Ministries, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

|Involved |Department/Agency | |

| |CSOs, private sector, multilaterals, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

| |working groups | |

|Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment |Currently, the central government institutions develop plans for the various provinces or |

| |governorates from the outside in a manner that does not correspond with the principle of enabling |

| |the citizens of these governorates to make decisions related to their daily lives. This commitment,|

| |interpreted through the reinforcement of decentralization in government performance, shall enable |

| |the citizen in the governorate to become the decision-maker in determining expenditures related to |

| |industry, education, vocational training or other areas. |

|Main objective |Enable citizens to participate in the planning for their future and defining their priorities. |

|Brief description of commitment |Issue the regulation related to the governorate council elections and conduct the elections in |

| |2017. |

|OGP challenge addressed by the commitment |Achieve citizen public participation in making the decisions affecting their daily lives including |

| |those related to the services they receive. Allow citizens to practice a direct and local |

| |monitoring on the decision making process. |

|Relevance |This commitment corresponds with the establishment of the public participation principle by |

| |fostering a decentralized planning process that allows for the planning to start from the base in |

| |the governorates and ascend up to the decision-making center, which makes the debates and |

| |responsiveness at the central decision-making a response to the citizens’ priorities. |

|Ambition |By involving public participation in economic and development decisions, the Government’s aim is |

| |for the decentralization path, and the practical encouragement it entails, to constitute a direct |

| |input in improving the government’s performance and its proximity to the public which will allow |

| |the public to effectively and more transparently monitor government performance. |

|Milestone (Activity with a verifiable deliverable and completion date) |Start date |End date |

|The Council of Ministers adopt a draft regulation of the electoral constituencies for the provisional council elections.|1/1/2017 |30/3/2017 |

|Governorate council internal regulations adopted |1/1/2017 |30/3/2017 |

|Campaign launched to explain the decentralization law and the governorate council elections procedures: |1/1/2017 |30/3/2017 |

|3.1 conduct a number of training programs and educative workshops related to the Decentralization Law across the Kingdom| | |

|targeting groups according to the awareness raising plan including, but are not limited to: youth, women, associations, | | |

|civil society organizations, public and private university students, political parties, local communities and persons | | |

|with disabilities (the activities shall be performed by the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs). | | |

|Governorate council elections conducted |7/2017 |7/2017 |

|Commitment 6: Develop healthcare services and automate the healthcare sector through electronic linkages |

|Provide access to information, technology and innovation to enhance public services in the health sector |

|Commitment start and end date |1/2/2017-30/8/2018 |

|New or ongoing commitment |New Commitment |

|Lead implementing agency |Ministry of Health |

|Other Actors |Government Ministries, Department/Agency |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

|Involved | | |

| |CSOs, private sector, multilaterals, working |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

| |groups | |

|Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment |The Ministry of Health hospitals lack an automated information system and integrated |

| |applications which would strengthen the level of health services provided to citizens, improve |

| |the performance of hospitals and control its expenditures. Despite the large number of citizens |

| |who receive services at these hospitals, they still lack the electronic interconnectivity which |

| |minimize their ability to provide speedy and quality services. |

|Main objective |Strengthen the infrastructure of Ministry of Health public hospitals to increase their ability |

| |to provide health services to citizens by connecting such hospitals with information systems and|

| |with other medical centers. |

|Brief description of commitment |Provide the internet connection infrastructure needed to connect the Ministry of Health |

| |hospitals and other national health and medical centers. |

|OGP challenge addressed by the commitment |Improve the sum of health services provided to citizens and improve access to information. |

|Relevance |This commitment intersects first with the public’s right to access information related to |

| |medical and health services in Jordan to raise the level and quality of such services. Users of |

| |the health care system include patients and medical staff. This commitment also intersects with |

| |strengthening the use of technology and innovation to increase the size and types of health |

| |services provided by public hospitals. |

|Ambition |Strengthen the Jordanian Government’s actions to develop a comprehensive national health |

| |information system. |

|Milestone (Activity with a verifiable deliverable and completion date) |Start date |End date |

|Field survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and its various institutions targeting the characteristics related |1/2/2017 |1/6/2017 |

|to each geographical area where public hospitals are located to determine the nature of the needed health services | | |

|in such areas. | | |

|Requirements defined for data and information entry in the various medical centers. |1/6/2017 |30/8/2017 |

|Assessment conducted to measure the hospitals’ technical abilities in terms of equipment and expertise. |15/7/2017 |15/9/2017 |

|Medical staff trained, including doctors, on how to complete and enter electronic forms into the automated system, |15/10/2017 |15/8/2018 |

|such as death notification forms and the international coding for death reasons. Furthermore, provide training to | | |

|medical staff on how to report on cases of violence against women (according to Mizan organization for Human | | |

|Rights.) | | |

|Internet connection infrastructure provided, such as equipment and networking across all Ministry of Health |15/10/2017 |1/3/2018 |

|hospitals. | | |

|Commitment 7: Develop an interactive observatory forum for citizens to monitor the implementation of the Government’s plans and progress |

|Provide access to information, technology, and innovation to increase transparency and accountability |

|Commitment start and end date |1/1/2017-20/8/2017 |

|New or ongoing commitment | New Commitment |

|Lead implementing agency |Government of Jordan |

|Other Actors |Government Ministries, Department/Agency |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

|Involved | | |

| |CSOs, private sector, multilaterals, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

| |working groups | |

|Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment |This commitment primarily seeks to ensure that Jordan’s Plan seriously and comprehensively |

| |implements the e-Government project. It aims to establish a mechanism within the project that |

| |will provide an outlet for citizens to view the Government’s implementation of its plans, |

| |procedures and projects in an interactive manner. |

|Main objective |Strengthen the public’s interactive monitoring of government performance and its |

| |implementation of its various procedures, plans and projects. |

|Brief description of commitment |Launch a central electronic portal for citizens, members of the Parliament, donors and |

| |investors to follow up on the implementation progress. |

|OGP challenge addressed by the commitment |Enhance public credibility; strengthen government monitoring by citizens; improve the level of|

| |public services; strengthen transparency and accountability practices within public sector |

| |institutions. |

|Relevance |This commitment intersects with strengthening public participation in monitoring the |

| |government’s performance, through the use of technology, in order to achieve accountability |

| |and transparency. |

|Ambition |Through the use of information technology, the Jordanian Government aspires to establish a |

| |public perception of transparency and stability of public sector procedures and performance |

| |within the framework of the government’s general strategy to strengthen the society’s |

| |knowledge and transparency. |

|Milestone (Activity with a verifiable deliverable and completion date) |Start date |End date |

|Central electronic portal launched (.jo) as part of Jordan’s 2025 program. |1/1/2017 |30/1/2017 |

|Procedures adopted to compel various public institutions to transfer information through the portal. |20/2/2017 |20/4/2017 |

|Liaison officers allocated to coordinate between various public institutions and the portal’s administration. |1/5/2017 |1/6/2017 |

|Regular schedule established for transferring information through the portal. |1/5/2017 |1/6/2017 |

|System designed for regular evaluation by citizens of the efficacy of the information and data provided through |20/6/2017 |20/8/2017 |

|the portal and user-friendliness through regular questionnaires posted on the website and through the use of | | |

|field opinion surveys (random samples, phone interviews, visits to public institutions). | | |

|Commitment 8: Adopt the principle of budget disclosure in accordance with international standards and promote transparency and financial disclosure |

|Access to Information and Accountability |

|Commitment start and end date |1/1/2017-30/1/2017 |

|New or ongoing commitment | New Commitment |

|Lead implementing agency | Ministry of Finance |

|Other Actors |Government Ministries, Department/Agency |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

|Involved | | |

| |CSOs, private sector, multilaterals, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

| |working groups | |

|Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment |This commitment seeks to raise the level of financial information disclosure by public |

| |institutions. It also corresponds with the requirements of the Jordan 2025 document in respect |

| |to broadening the scope of financial disclosure to include municipalities, universities, Aqaba |

| |Authority and state owned companies. |

|Main objective |Increase the level of transparency and publication of financial statements and data. |

|Brief description of commitment |Issue executive instructions by the Government to oblige governmental institutions to publish |

| |financial data, including the publication of aggregated governmental accounts. |

|OGP challenge addressed by the commitment |Combat corruption, increase access to information and encourage financial reform. |

|Relevance |This commitment intersects mainly with the access to information principle for the purposes of |

| |accountability and transparency in governmental procedures. |

|Ambition |The Jordanian Government seeks to establish financial disclosure in its institutions as a |

| |general rule and not as an ad hoc, one-time event. The government seeks to nurture a culture |

| |that is based on regular financial disclosure of financial data and information in the public |

| |sector. |

|Milestone (Activity with a verifiable deliverable and completion date) |Start date |End date |

|Aggregated government accounts published for 2015 to increase transparency and financial |15/1/2017 |- |

|disclosure according to the Council of Minister’s decisions published in the Official Gazette | | |

|(Issue 5411). | | |

|Governmental instructions issued to all governmental institutions mandating they submit a regular |30/1/2017 |- |

|timetable for disclosing their financial information. | | |

|Commitment 9: Develop transparent and participatory policies regarding climate change challenges |

|Access to Information |

|Commitment start and end date |30/9/2017-30/6/2018 |

|New or ongoing commitment |New Commitment |

|Lead implementing agency | Ministry of Environment |

|Other Actors |Government Ministries, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

|Involved |Department/Agency | |

| |CSOs, private sector, multilaterals, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

| |working groups | |

|Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment |The Jordanian Government seeks to participate with the international community and its neighboring|

| |states in establishing the needed mechanisms to combat the emission of greenhouse gases which |

| |cause climate change through the formulation and adoption of local policies in cooperation with |

| |the civil society and the public at large. |

|Main objective |Address climate change, its effects and means for adaptation in all services provided to the |

| |public. |

|Brief description of commitment |Develop operational policies on the national level to determine the effect of climate changes on |

| |Jordan and to address it in an appropriate manner. |

|OPG challenge addressed by the commitment |Establish more secure societies who can face disasters and environmental hazards. |

|Relevance |This commitment intersects with the access to information principle, especially to the information|

| |related to the potential risks emerging from climate change. Facilitating access to such |

| |information will provide a knowledge base for enabling the public to hold the government and its |

| |institutions accountable for adopting and applying procedures to limit risks and provide basic |

| |services to citizens. |

|Ambition |The Jordanian Government aspires to develop practical and realistic policies which can contribute |

| |to building its institutions’ capacities and the public’s preparedness to deal with the climate |

| |change risks. |

|Milestone (Activity with a verifiable deliverable and completion date) |Start date |End date |

|Policies developed based on international best practices through cooperation with scientific and research centers |30/9/2017 |Continuous |

|in Jordan in accordance with the Climate Change Policy of 2013. | | |

|Knowledge made available to citizens through the publication of relevant information, in a manner that facilitates|1/1/2018 |Continuous |

|its comprehension, by cooperating with the daily newspapers and other media outlets and through strengthening the | | |

|framework governing the national publication of the national notification on the emission of greenhouse gases in | | |

|Jordan. | | |

|Requisite legislative measures defined, in collaboration with the Parliament, related to prevention. |1/1/2018 |Continuous |

|Commitment 10: Implement an open data sources policy |

|Using technology in order to facilitate access to governmental information and increase government action’s transparency |

|Commitment start and end date |5/1/2017-30/12/2018 |

|New or ongoing commitment |New Commitment |

|Lead implementing agency |Ministry of Information and Communications Technology |

|Other Actors |Government Ministries, Department/Agency |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

|Involved | | |

| |CSOs, private sector, multilaterals, |Will be determined at the start of implementation. |

| |working groups | |

|Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment |By implementing the open data sources policy, the Jordanian Government seeks to facilitate access to|

| |data under the government’s possession unless it is considered confidential information or a |

| |violation of privacy. Such information shall be offered freely and with no cost to its users |

| |according to a set of clear and precise conditions. |

|Main objective |Work towards achieving transparency, enhance confidence in the government’s performance and provide |

| |pioneers with the opportunity to innovate in the area of services development. Increase the |

| |participation of civil society in policy- and decision-making process. |

|Brief description of commitment |Implement the open data sources policy within the government and its various institutions, and |

| |evaluate the quality of data provided. |

|OPG challenge addressed by the commitment |Ease access to information, encourage reform and strengthen the government’s credibility. |

|Relevance |This commitment intersects and directly connects with the principle of increasing the use of new |

| |technologies to facilitate the exchange of information. It also satisfies the requirements related |

| |to the use of technology to increase public participation and cooperation in decision making and the|

| |provision of more information in the public sphere in order to enable the public from understanding |

| |the government’s functions and influencing its decisions. |

|Ambition |The Jordanian government hopes that by providing such a huge quantity of information and data, it |

| |will contribute to the growth of the community’s economy and stimulate an incubator for innovation |

| |and development of new services and financial resources. In addition, the aim is to enable civil |

| |society to achieve effective programmatic planning by using such data for the prosperity and |

| |interest of the society. |

|Milestone (Activity with a verifiable deliverable and completion date) |Start date |End date |

|Joint committee formed for the government’s open data sources comprised of representatives from the Ministry of |5/1/2017 |30/1/2017 |

|Telecommunications and Information Technology, relevant stakeholders and civil society organizations. | | |

|Policy drafted governing the provision of open data sources for discussion with stakeholders including |1/2/2017 |1/5/2017 |

|representatives of civil society. | | |

|Draft of final policies completed and submitted for approval to the Council of Ministers. |5/5/2017 |5/8/2017 |

|Standards announced and published for the government’s disclosure of open data sources including the methods used |1/9/2017 |1/10/2017 |

|to collect, process and store such data. | | |

|Tools developed and published to measure the quality of available open data sources, and related periodical |1/10/2017 |1/1/2018 |

|reports published. | | |

|Program designed to measure the government departments’ capabilities in publishing government’s open data sources.|1/1/2018 |30/12/2018 |

|Capacity building program implemented based on the program’s assessment results. | | |

Commitments’ Matrix

|COMMITMENT |BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMMITMENT |COMMITMENT START/END DATE |LEAD IMPLEMENTING AGENCY |

|Strengthen the legislative framework governing access to |Review the legislative system, identify existing problems in the |1/1/2017-30/11/2018 |Ministry of Culture |

|information |practices and management of information systems, and propose a | | |

| |bundle of legislative and procedural amendments. | | |

|Strengthen the facilities available for persons with disabilities |Provide information about court facilities to better allow persons|1/1/2017-30/12/2017 |Ministry of Justice |

|to access the justice system |with disabilities to use the courts according to the nature and | | |

| |type of disability. | | |

|Strengthen the framework governing the freedom of the media |Design and implement a technical framework of best practices to |1/1/2017-30/6/2018 |Office of the Minister of Media Affairs |

| |strengthen the freedom of the media. Develop a bundle of | | |

| |legislative amendments to be considered by the Parliament. | | |

|Launch and enhance the complaints registration system and |Establish a unified electronic citizen complaints database which |1/1/2017-30/11/2018 |Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission and Human|

|follow-up mechanisms and dealing with complaints in a serious |citizens can use to follow up on the actions taken regarding such | |Rights National Coordinator at Prime Ministry |

|manner and refer them to the judiciary. |complaints at all stages, maintaining gender equality in the use | |Ministry of Public Sector Development |

| |and administration of this system. | | |

|Issue the requisite regulations and instructions to implement the |Issue the regulation related to the governorate council elections |1/1/2017-30/3/2017 |Ministry of Interior |

|Decentralization Law and hold Governorate Council Elections in |and conduct the elections in 2017. | |Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation|

|2017 | | | |

|Develop healthcare services and automate the healthcare sector |Provide the internet connection infrastructure needed to connect |1/2/2017-30/8/2018 |Ministry of Health |

|through electronic linkages |the Ministry of Health hospitals and other national health and | | |

| |medical centers. | | |

|Develop an interactive observatory form for citizens to monitor |Launch a central electronic portal for citizens, members of the |1/1/2017-20/8/2017 |Government of Jordan |

|the implementation of the Government’s plans and progress |Parliament, donors and investors to follow up on the | | |

| |implementation progress. | | |

|Adopt the principle of budget disclosure in accordance with |Issue executive instructions by the Government to oblige |1/1/2017-30/1/2017 |Ministry of Finance |

|international standards and promote transparency and financial |governmental institutions to publish financial data, including the| | |

|disclosure. |publication of aggregated governmental accounts. | | |

|Develop transparent and participatory policies regarding climate |Develop operational policies on the national level to determine |30/9/2017-30/6/2018 |Ministry of Environment |

|change challenges |the effect of climate changes on Jordan and to address it in an | | |

| |appropriate manner. | | |

|Implement an open data sources policy |Implement the open data sources policy within the government and |5/1/2017-30/12/2018 |Ministry of Information and Communications |

| |its various institutions, and evaluate the quality of data | |Technology |

| |provided. | | |

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